


fearless when it comes to you

by malecnificenttyrus11



Category: Never Have I Ever (TV)
Genre: Benvi, Canon Compliant, Confessions, First Kiss, Hopeful Ending, Injured!Devi, Library, Never Have I Ever, OTH inspired, Post-1x06, Worried!Ben, angst w/tons of feels, fearless!ben, school shooting, semi-au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:14:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24815143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/malecnificenttyrus11/pseuds/malecnificenttyrus11
Summary: Hi everyone! I'm back with another One Tree Hill inspired fic, for those of you who have may seen the show. This is based on a very serious episode from the series. Nothing too graphic...just a moment between lucas and peyton that I wanted to write for ben and devi! enjoy!~Devi Vishwakumar spent her entire life convinced that she was fearless. Ben Gross had many fears. On this particular day...both of them realized the opposite. When a tragic event strikes just a day after Ben and Devi have a nice night at family dinner, they both realize something they hadn't before. Devi realizes that Ben was always saving her, and Ben realizes that he is fearless when it comes to Devi.
Relationships: Ben Gross/Devi Vishwakumar
Comments: 15
Kudos: 55





	fearless when it comes to you

There were very few things in life that Devi Vishwakumar was afraid of.

Spiders? No. 

Heights? No.

Enclosed Spaces? No.

Devi was convinced that she didn't have any fears at all, since her father had instilled in her from a very young age the importance of having faith, and believing that our fate cannot be taken away from us...so long as we believe in it.

Once her father died, however, Devi quickly realized that she did in-fact have fears. Fears that had been repressed for most of her life...only brought out by the sudden, tragic loss of her father. 

The unknown? Yes.

Death? Yes.

It had been eight months since Devi lost her dad, and in that time she'd been able to push aside these fears. But it was only a matter of time before Devi would be facing these fears head on.

She just didn't realize it would happen on a seemingly normal school day, as she's staring directly down the barrel of a loaded gun.  
~  
Devi walks into the library, smiling when she spots her two bestfriends sitting at one of the tables. She skips over to the table, sitting down across from them. 

"Good Morning." She sings, beaming.

Eleanor and Fabiola raise their eyebrows, "What's got you so happy today?" Eleanor asks suspiciously.

Devi tilts her head, "What are you talking about? I'm always happy...I'm a god damn delight."

Fabiola snorts, shaking her head, "No...you're like, GLOWING. Did something happen with Paxton H-Y?"

Devi shakes her head, "Actually...no."

Eleanor narrows her eyes, looking Devi up-and-down, "Then what is it? Because there's definitely something different about you."

"Actually...something pretty strange happened last night..." She says.

Eleanor and Fabiola gesture for her to elaborate.

"Well...my mom sort of, ambushed me with inviting Ben to our family dinner." She explains.

Their eyes widen, "Ben as in Ben Gross...your arch-nemesis?!" Fabiola asks.

Devi nods, "Yes." 

"Oh god...that must've been torture for you. Are you so happy because you finally got to fulfill your life-long dream of beating up Ben Gross?" Eleanor exclaims.

Devi rolls her eyes, "No. There was no violence. Although I WAS tempted at first."

"So...what happened, then?"

"Well...surprisingly, we had a pretty nice dinner. And then Ben and I actually had a civil conversation. It was...nice." She explains, smiling softly.

Eleanor and Fabiola glance at eachother, turning back to look at Devi.

"Wow...I never thought I'd ever hear you say a conversation, or any interaction with Ben was...nice." Eleanor says, voice slightly shocked.

Devi laughs, "Neither did I, but...Ben Gross is apparently...full of surprises." 

"So, are you guys like...friends, now?" Fabiola questions.

Devi shrugs, "I mean...that wasn't explicitly discussed but...I'm not opposed to the idea."

She smiles at the prospect of her and Ben actually becoming friends. 

She reaches into her pocket, pulling out her phone and opening her Venmo app, searching for Ben's account.

Devi selects the $5 amount, composing a message.

Devi: "So you never have to accept food from a pedo again."

She laughs to herself, pressing send.

A few seconds later, her phone dings.

Ben: "Thank you for saving a life, David."

Devi smiles.

When she looks back up at her friends, they're giving her a suspicious look.

"What?" She asks, setting her phone down on the table.

"You're literally glowing. Is there something else going on with you and Ben?" Eleanor asks, wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Devi makes a face of mock-disgust, "No...not at all. Gross."

Okay, so maybe that was a lie. Well, not completely. There wasn't exactly anything going on between her and Ben...but her feelings for him had definitely shifted into unfamiliar territory, a space between ex-nemesis to friends or something more. 

After her first civil conversation with him, she realized that there was more to him than meets the eye. He wasn't the pretentious, unlikeable boy that she once thought he was. He was actually...nice to talk to, and nice company.

He was actually human.

Devi actually started to feel herself warming up to Ben. When they weren't constantly at eachother's throats...they actually got along really well. And they actually had a lot more in common then she thought.

After he left her house, Devi found herself extremely confused. Her feelings for Ben had changed, and she wasn't sure how to navigate through them.

"Devi..." Eleanor calls out, waving her hand in front of her face.

Devi blinks herself back into reality, "What?"

"We lost you for a second there. What were you thinking about?" She asks.

The warning bell sounds, and Devi has never been more grateful. She stands up from the table, collecting her books.

First period was Mr. Shapiro's class...the class she had with Ben. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but she was actually really looking forward to the class.

To seeing Ben.

She follows Eleanor and Fabiola out of the library and towards the main hallway. As soon as they reach the door to the library, she freezes, grabbing Eleanor and Fabiola's arms to stop them.

Further down the hallway, an unfamiliar student is standing frozen in the center of the hallway, a handgun pointed in her direction. 

Devi's eyes widen, and she immediately drops to the ground, pulling Eleanor and Fabiola down with her.

A gunshot echoes through the hallway, the bullet shattering the library door, showering them with shards of glass. Devi feels a sharp pain in her leg, but has no to react before the hallway erupts into complete chaos. 

Everything becomes a blur in that moment, students screaming and running frantically in all directions. Devi searches for Eleanor and Fabiola, panic setting in when she realizes that they had gotten lost in the crowd.

She tries to stand up, but gets pushed back down as several students trample her. Her leg aches, and everything starts getting blurry.

Before she blacks out from an unknown source of pain, she hears an announcement sound over the loudspeaker.

"Code Red, Code Red...this is NOT a drill. All students please report to your designated lockdown areas IMMEDIATELY!"

The voice becomes more hazy and distant as everything goes dark.  
~  
Ben had never been late for school a day in his entire life. He always had impeccable timing, along with his perfect attendance record. However after the previous night, he found himself unable to sleep.

He still couldn't believe what had transpired.

After what he considered to be one of the shittiest weeks of his entire life...he'd broken down in his nemesis', well...ex-nemesis' mother's dermatology office, resulting in a pity invite to their family dinner. 

Not as any surprise to Ben, Devi was less than thrilled at his unexpected appearance. Things started out tense, and Ben found himself feeling a mixture of horrified and embarrassed.

But then...things took an unexpected turn...

In a good way.

The dinner turned out to be pretty nice, and he and Devi actually had their first real civil conversation. After a week from hell...this was exactly what he needed to turn it all around.

He left their house that night happier than he had been in the longest time, and found himself unable to sleep...mind still reeling from what had taken place.

Now here he was, driving as fast as he could under the legal limit (who was he kidding...he drove like a grandmom), to try and get to school on time. He'd gotten distracted by an unexpected text from Devi, which caused him to leave the house later than usual.

It was worth it though, the text definitely made him ready to face another day.

He couldn't wait for first period...which he had with Devi.  
~  
When Ben pulls into the school parking lot, his eyes furrow in confusion at the utter chaos taking place outside. There are students screaming and running in all different directions, teachers directing students into school buses, and other students jumping into their cars...speeding out of the parking lot.

What the hell is going on?

He pulls into the nearest parking spot, throwing his car into park and jumping out. His eyes scan through the sea of students, finally settling on two familiar faces...Eleanor and Fabiola.

Fabiola is holding Eleanor in her arms, Eleanor appearing to be extremely distraught. Ben locks his car, pushing through the crowd of students and running towards them. 

"Eleanor! Fabiola! What's going on?" He asks as he stops in front of them, pausing to catch his breath.

Eleanor lets out a sob, and Fabiola pulls her closer, "S-someone has a gun inside...t-they started shooting." Fabiola says in a shaky voice.

Ben's eyes widen. He looks between the two of them, face falling when he realizes Devi isn't with them.

Where was she?

"Eleanor...where's Devi?" Ben asks slowly, trying his best to keep his voice level.

When she doesn't respond...he grabs her shoulders, shaking them slightly, "Eleanor! Where's Devi!" He yells out, his voice shaking. 

"I...I don't know. We were all together inside when the gun went off...we got split up." Eleanor cries out.

Ben freezes, slowly pulling his hands from her shoulders to fall limp at his sides, "She...she got shot?" he breathes out, feeling his heart sink into his stomach.

Panic consumes his entire body as his eyes dart around for any sign of Devi. 

No...this can't be happening. It can't be happening.

She can't be hurt. 

"No! I-I don't know...we were by the library!" Eleanor sobs, voice cracking.

Fabiola's jaw clenches, a tear falling down her cheek.

"Oh god..." Ben breathes out, immediately running in the direction of the school. 

Fabiola's eyes widen, "Ben! Where are you going!" she yells out.

Ben ignores her and Eleanor's calls for him, continuing to bolt towards the school entrance.

He didn't feel any fear in that moment...no fear of getting shot or confronted by someone with a gun. All he could focus on was finding Devi.

He needed to find her...

She needed to be okay...he needed her to be okay.  
~  
Ben throws open the doors to the school entrance, jogging into the main hallway. He freezes, eyes scanning the scene in front of him.

The hallway was dark, textbooks and papers scattered across the floor, lockers hanging open. It was eerily silent, so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

It looked like a warzone.

Ben feels fear settle in the pit of his stomach, his hands shaking. He quietly walks further into the hallway, eyes glancing in every direction.

He starts to head in the direction of the library, taking a quick detour towards the abandoned main office in search of a self-defense object.

He desperately wants to find Devi, but he knows that he can't protect both himself and her without help. After quietly searching around, his eyes land on a lone baseball bat.

Ben is smart enough to know that a baseball bat offers him no protection against a projectile bullet...but it's better than nothing.

He grabs the bat, exiting the main office and continuing towards the library. He walks as quietly as possible, stepping around discarded objects on the floor.

After what feels like an eternity, he finally reaches the door to the library, eyes widening when he sees that it is shattered...glass shards scattered along the floor. 

His stomach drops when he sees a pool of blood...a trail streaked across the floor and into the library. 

A million thoughts flood into his mind in that moment.

Is that Devi's blood?

Was she injured? What if she'd gotten shot, or worse...

What if she was...

No. She can't be.

Ben takes a deep breath, pushing aside all of the growing negative thoughts in his mind. He grabs the door handle, slowly pulling it open and stepping cautiously over the glass shards. 

He grasps the bat more tightly in his hands, walking into the library. 

The library is also eerily silent, abandoned books and backpacks scattered everywhere. Ben continues forward quietly, glancing behind bookshelves and under tables.

He freezes when he hears a shuffling sound coming from behind one of the bookshelves. 

Shit...what if that was the shooter hiding out? He had not thought this through...

Ben feels his heart start pounding. His shaking hands grasp the bat so tightly that his knuckles turn white. He braces himself, bringing the bat back and walking around the bookshelf.

Devi lets out a frightened shriek, closing her eyes. When Ben sees Devi, he lets out a sigh of relief. 

She's alive. She's okay.

Devi turns to look at him, smiling weakly, "Ben...I'm so relieved to see you. I thought you were..." 

Ben sighs, "Yeah...I thought you were, too..."

Devi laughs quietly, "Were you really planning on using a baseball bat to protect you from a projectile bullet?" she teases, coughing.

"No...uh, well, maybe...uh..." He rambles out, dropping the bat to the ground and smiling sheepishly.

His eyes drift to the ground, widening when he sees a pool of blood around Devi's foot.

"Devi, you're bleeding!" He gasps, immediately dropping down beside her.

He frowns when he sees a tear in Devi's jeans covered in blood, a deep gash in her leg. He moves his hand forward to examine her injury.

Devi hisses in pain, closing her eyes tightly and clenching her jaw. She instinctively grabs Ben's arm.

"My leg! I got cut by some glass..." She groans.

"I lost Eleanor and Fabiola after the gun went off..." she whispers, frowning, "Oh god...what if they're hurt!" 

Ben shakes his head, "They're okay...I just saw them outside. But Devi...we need to get you out of here now."

He goes to stand up, but Devi's grip on his arm tightens, pulling him back down, "I...I can't walk. I already tried...I crawled in here." she cries out.

Ben nods, "Okay...it's okay. I'm just going to..."

Devi shakes her head, "Ben, no...please don't leave me, please..." she pleads, a tear rolling down her cheek.

"Hey..." he breathes out as he kneels down beside her, grabbing her hand, "I'm just going to lock the door so that we can hide out in here."

Devi nods slowly, sniffling. She lets go of his arm, arms dropping down to her sides.

Ben stands up, "Devi...I would never leave you. We're going to get out here." he promises.

Devi offers him a small smile, nodding her head.

Ben immediately heads towards the library doors, pulling down the shades and shoving the baseball bat in between the handles.

They're going to be okay...both of them. He would get them out of here.  
~  
Ben walks back over to Devi, sliding down the bookshelf to sit beside her. He glances over at her, frowning when he sees the pained expression on her face. 

It was an expression that Ben had never seen Devi use before...and one that he hoped he would never have to see again. It hurt.

"Hey...you said you saw Eleanor and Fabiola outside?" She asks quietly.

Ben nods, "Yeah...when I got to school."

Devi furrows her eyebrows in confusion, "If you were outside, and safe...why didn't you leave?" 

Ben doesn't even hesitate when he answers, "Because you were in here." he says it with such conviction that it makes Devi's heart race. 

"I can't believe you willingly ran into a school with an active shooter inside...just to find your arch-nemesis that you hate..." Devi breathes out, smiling to herself.

Ben sighs, "I willingly ran into a school with an active shooter inside to find my FRIEND, who I DON'T hate..." he corrects her.

Devi raises an eyebrow, "You consider us...friends?"

He nods, "I mean...yeah, unless...you don't. Which is totally fine but, after yesterday I just thought..."

Devi softly shoves his arm, "Ben...you're rambling. Of course we're friends, you dork."

Ben smiles. He glances back down at Devi's injured leg...the smile fading from his face, replaced with a look of concern. The blood is still pooling from her wound pretty heavily. 

"Hey...you're bleeding pretty bad. We're going to need to put pressure on it." He explains, immediately moving his hands up to unbutton his shirt.

Devi's eyes widen, "Are you actually getting naked right now?!" She exclaims, "You have one dinner date with a guy and he thinks he's going to get lucky." she mumbles to herself.

Ben tries to ignore the way that his heart races at Devi referring to their dinner the previous night as a date.

It was definitely just the blood loss getting to her.

Right?

He rolls his eyes, "In your dreams, David. I'm going to use my shirt as a tourniquet."

He finishes undoing the last of his buttons, sliding the shirt off of his shoulders.

Devi laughs softly, "An undershirt...really?" she teases, hissing in pain when she moves her leg.

Ben glares at her, the ghost of a smile on his lips, "David...leave it to you to be that person who pokes fun at the person trying to save your life."

"You're not just a person...you're Ben. I enjoy poking fun at you." She admits, and Ben laughs.

"The feeling is mutual..." he says fondly, sliding closer to her leg.

"Okay...this is going to hurt. Do you trust me?" He asks, eyes locked on Devi's.

Devi closes her eyes tightly, nodding.

Ben takes a deep breath, carefully wrapping his shirt around her leg and pulling it tight. Devi lets out a sob, her head falling back against the bookshelf. 

"Fuck." She whispers, balling her fists at her sides.

"Okay...it's on. Are you okay?" Ben questions, voice laced with concern.

Devi nods slowly, trying to catch her breath.

Ben slides back into his spot sitting next to her, and Devi's head immediately falls onto his shoulder. 

That also had to be a result of the blood loss...right?

A comfortable silence falls between them, and Ben rests a hand on the knee of her injured leg...his thumb rubbing comforting circles. 

Devi starts to feel her eyes getting heavy...her energy slowly leaving her body. She glances up at Ben, "Ben...I'm getting tired..." she whispers, eyes slowly falling shut.

Ben's panics, "Devi...hey. I know you're tired...but I need you to stay awake for me, okay?" his voice shakes.

Devi sighs, forcing her eyes to stay open, "I can't..."

"Yes you can. You're Devi freaking Vishwakumar...one of the strongest people I know. You can fight this." He reassures her.

Devi smirks, "Strong enough to kick your ass?"

Ben laughs, nodding his head, "Honestly...yeah. I might be TOTALLY jacked but I know absolutely nothing about self-defense." 

"I knew that from the moment you walked into the library with a baseball bat." she teases. 

Ben rolls his eyes.

Devi's eyes get heavy again, and she forces them back open, focusing on the sound of Ben's voice.

"Hey...do you remember the fifth grade spelling bee?" Ben asks.

Devi laughs, "How could I forget...that was the day that I was robbed of a totally deserved first place trophy and ribbon." 

Ben rolls his eyes, "You STILL believe that? I won that spelling bee fair and square." 

Devi shakes her head, "No...you won by default." she points out.

"Not true. You were unable to spell the word Mississippi, remember?" Ben reminds her, and Devi sighs.

"I was very much capable of spelling Mississippi. I just had a problem pronouncing my 's's'." She argues.

Ben shrugs, "Okay...maybe you're right. But I still earned that trophy."

"Even if I'm currently losing blood...I will never agree with you on that. I was devastated when I didn't get that trophy...I worked so hard." She rants.

Ben nods, "Fair enough. Do you remember how your dad took us out for icecream after the competition?" he continues.

Devi nods her head, smiling fondly at the memory.

"Yeah...I was so angry at him..." she laughs, "I can't believe you remember that..."

Ben shrugs, "How could I forget? My parents never came to any of our competitions, and never celebrated when I won. But that night... your dad took us out for icecream and kept saying how proud he was of the both of us..."

Devi glances over at Ben...watching as his eyes well up with tears. 

"My parents have never told me they were proud of me. That small gesture from your dad meant EVERYTHING to me..." He admits, looking down at his lap.

"He was...a great guy, Devi. I know that I've never really told you that but, I've always thought it." He explains.

Devi smiles, leaning her head on his shoulder again, "Thank you, Ben...he really liked you."

"Speaking of icecream...Is it cold in here...because I'm freezing..." Devi breathes out, body shaking. Ben carefully wraps his arms around her, pulling her into his chest.

She lets out a content sigh at the feeling of Ben's body heat. 

"You know...they're all going to come now." She whispers into his shirt.

Ben raises an eyebrow, "who?"

"The reporters, and the psychologists, and the analysts, and the so-called experts...and they're going to try and make sense of this..." She breathes out, "But they won't be able to."

Ben is silent, nodding to show that he is listening. He lets Devi talk...knowing that it will help to keep her awake and alert, which is exactly what he needs.

"And even if we do make it out of here..." Devi continues.

"When." Ben corrects her.

There was no doubt in his mind...Ben was going to get both him and Devi out of this school alive. He would not let anything happen to her. 

Especially not when they had just taken a huge step forward in their friendship. Something that Ben had wanted to happen for so long.

"IF we do...we're always going to carry this with us. It is never going to be the same." Devi whispers, sniffling.

Ben nods, "Yeah...but is that such a bad thing?" he counters.

Devi shrugs, "I don't know..."

"I mean...all of us at one point or another take the time we have with the people we care about for granted...or just the people we care about. And sometimes, it takes something like this to remind us that life is short. So maybe...this is what people needed as a wake-up call, no matter how twisted it sounds." Ben explains.

"It does sound twisted...but you're right..." Devi agrees, voice sounding tired.

Silence falls between them, and Devi speaks up again, "Ben...it isn't glass in my leg, is it?" she whispers, almost certain she already knows the answer.

Ben had been trying to deny it to himself the entire time...but he knew just from the look of the wound that it was not a cut from glass.

He just couldn't accept how serious Devi's injury was...or how much in danger they were in, because the idea of something happening to Devi scared him.

The idea of losing her was too much for him to handle.

And the idea of not being able to save her...

Ben shakes his head, "It's a bullet..."

Devi clenches her jaw, nodding, "Ben...you need to get out of here."

He immediately sits forward, turning to face her with wide eyes, "What? Devi...I'm not leaving you here!"

"You have to..." She whispers weakly, eyes barely open.

Ben shakes his head, "No!"

"Ben..."

"No, Devi. I'm sorry...but I'm not leaving this library without you. I came into this school to find you...and I'll be leaving with you." He snaps, voice cracking. 

Devi's eyes soften, "You're always saving me, Ben...and you don't even realize it." 

Ben looks down at the ground with a smile, "Well somebody's got to."

Devi slowly lifts her head off of Ben's shoulder, leaning back against the bookshelf. She's silent for a moment, eyes distant.

"If I were to say...that I liked you right now..." Devi breathes out, "Would you hold it against me?"

Ben's eyes widen.

"Because I've lost a LOT of blood." She laughs softly.

He turns to look at Devi, "You...like me?" he asks in disbelief, unsure of whether or not he was imagining her words.

Devi nods.

"I...I like you too, Devi." Ben confesses.

Devi smiles, turning to meet his eyes, "Come here..." she whispers.

Ben turns around, and Devi closes the distance between them to press their lips together.

Ben brings his hand up to rest softly against her cheek.

Devi pulls away, resting her forehead against his, "Just incase you can't keep your promise..."

She turns to face away from Ben.

Ben closes his eyes and clenches his jaw...trying his best to fight back tears.  
~  
Although it has only been a few hours, Ben feels like it has been an eternity since he'd found Devi in the library.

Devi had been silent for a long time now, not moving much, and Ben found himself growing concerned. He knew that she needed medical attention immediately, or else...

He shakes away his thoughts, turning to look at Devi's still form, chest rising and falling slowly.

"Devi...hey..." he calls out, touching her arm.

She opens her eyes slightly, humming in response.

"It's been quiet for awhile now. We need to get you out of here...I'm going to carry you, okay?" He informs her.

Devi doesn't argue, nodding once in response. Her skin is pale and her breathing shallow, and she looks incredibly weak.

Ben kneels down in front of Devi, wrapping an arm carefully under her legs...the other winding around her waist. He stands up, hoisting her into his arms.

Devi's head immediately falls onto his shoulder, and he frowns.

Please let her be okay...please.  
~  
Ben scans the hallway to make sure the coast is clear, quietly pushing the library open with his back and stepping over the glass shards.

He pulls Devi closer to him, slowly walking through the hallway.

When he hears footsteps coming from behind him, he quickens his pace...ducking out of the nearest exit. As soon as he gets outside, everything suddenly goes into slow motion.

Ben hears the sounds of sirens, but they sound distant. All he can hear is the deafening sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

He looks up, seeing flashing lights and a large crowd of news reporters and first responders. His vision is blurry, and he glances down at Devi, who's eyes are still closed.

When he looks back up, the SWAT team is slowly approaching him, first responders following behind them.

The medic lifts Devi out of his arms, and Ben watches as they jog off in the direction of the ambulance.

He puts his hands up in the air, allowing the SWAT team to pat him down and search him. Once they clear him, they allow him to pass. He immediately bolts towards the ambulance, climbing in beside Devi and taking her hand.

"You're going to be okay, Devi. It's all okay now..." He breathes out, trying to convince her as much as himself.

The ambulance ride feels like an eternity, and is a blur. All Ben could focus on is Devi.

She was going to be okay.  
~


End file.
